Originally published in 1976, this highly acclaimed, full-scale account of Restoration drama is now available for the first time in a paperback edition. Following the changing patterns of drama decade by decade from 1660 to 1710, the author fully explores the diversity of the plays as they reflect the fads and fashions of a small, highly competitive theatre world constantly buffeted by political and social change. Anxious to avoid misleading generalizations - such as the dominance of `comedy of manners' and the rise of `sentimental' drama - Hume carries out a detailed, chronological survey of some five hundred plays, chronicling the emergence of numerous dramatic modes and their interaction and mutual influence. This meticulous documentation is set within the context of a critical discussion of theories of comedy and tragedy prevalent in the period.